How do a vinyl street banner, an old seat belt and bicycle tire tubing become a unique bag?

The National Ballet of Canada’s street banners featuring each production are given a new purpose and are used to create stylish, high quality bags that are locally made by Totem. Not only do they reuse old materials that would otherwise go to waste, but the proceeds go back to the National Ballet’s Volunteer Committee who sponsor new productions in the Company’s repertoire.

• Every bag is unique; individually made from used banners, seatbelts & bicycle inner tubes
• Every bag is designed with everyday life in mind; both purposeful & useful
• Every bag is locally made to the highest quality for durability; extending the “life” of various
materials, and giving these recycled items a new purpose.

Read the Toronto Star’s piece on these Totem bags from last week in honour of Earth Day.

Get your very own bag: 
• at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts during a National Ballet performance
• online from the Ballet Boutique
• from Paper Things in Yorkville

After what felt like an eternity, my son finally arrived on Christmas Eve and what a special Christmas present! 

It has been almost four months now and I’m still getting used to this extraordinary new life and responsibility. My life will never be the same again and I couldn’t be happier. As if that weren’t enough, I’m already back in the studio. Taking class and rehearsing all day after being off for so long is proving to be a very gruelling process, but it will all be worth it when I step onto the stage again this June for one of my favourite ballets, Onegin.

While it’s no small feat to try to balance motherhood with the incredible demands of life as a ballet dancer, I feel so lucky to have this wonderful experience. I’ve tackled many difficult roles in my career but so far “Mom” is the most challenging but also among the most rewarding. 

http://www.gretahodgkinson.com/

[Photos: Top, Greta Hodgkinson. Photo by Sian Richards. Above, Maxime Ashod Lavigne.]

[Stephanie Hutchison will next appear as Anita in West Side Story Suite, onstage June 4 – 13, 2010].

Recently I spent the day teaching ballet and variation classes to the dance students at Unionville High School in Markham. This is an excellent art school and one of very few of its kind in Ontario. It is very challenging teaching students that range from grade 9 to grade 12, some on pointe and some not. Their strengths and weaknesses vary and many are also into sports, gymnastics and figure skating. It’s very different than teaching pre-professional students who all have a similar skill set and common goal. I was impressed with how quickly these students picked up the choreography and their class etiquette, knowledge and talent was impressive.

The main thing I focused on was actually “dancing” the choreography, as only one day and the various levels meant I couldn’t get too detailed. We are living in an era of So You Think You Can Dance and showy, energetic, often sexy numbers are the norm and even what many students in arts schools strive for. So, I also focused on teaching the importance of subtle nuance and finesse in movements and how essential it is for any style of dancing.

Now that I am a mom, I asked myself what I would want for my child to get from a dance experience whether or not she did it professionally. I would want for a young person to experience dance in a way that teaches:
1. The joy it can bring to your life
2. The discipline it instills
3. The confidence it can bring physically and psychologically

These are the things that are beneficial to any student of dance, professional or recreational, young or old.

[Photos: Top, with Artists of the Ballet in West Side Story Suite. Photo by Bruce Zinger. Centre, photo by Sian Richards. Above, in rehearsal. Photo by David Hou.]

I’ve been stage managing school tours for over four decades but this short little trip to the Sundridge area was “one of the best”. Talk about making us feel welcome!!

The weather was perfect. I drove up in a minivan with the equipment, wardrobe, etc. and Jim, driver extraordinaire from GTA Crew Services, supplied the ride to the dancers and staff. We assembled, packed and travelled up north on Monday, March 29, 2010. The next day, Dance About performed two “SOLD OUT” performances that were fantastic with well-behaved kids parked on gym floors.

We stayed overnight at the Northridge Inn in Sundridge and lacked for nothing. Fireplaces, a gorgeous lake, outdoor hot tub, wonderful food, all under the watchful eyes of owners Michael, Brenda and Adrian Piraino, made it difficult to leave this place.

The students at both Maple Ridge P.S. in Powassan and Sundridge Centennial P.S. were perfect. Bright, quick, mature and very respectful, they made great audiences and their respective student crews really hustled. (We have about one hour of setup.) Mike Ricci and Wanda Hill (super staff members) had it all organized.

This trip was a treat. It was a genuine pleasure to be able to provide what I’ve always felt is a great little show to such a deserving audience. To top it off, a company alumna from our Nureyev era, Jennifer Laird, who a few of us knew way back when (yup, THAT long ago) showed up with her class. Turns out that she’s been teaching in the area for decades. Clearly, we live in a small world.

Dance About is sponsored by Scotiabank.

[Photos: Top to bottom, Sharon Vanderlinde with Apprentices Jessica Burrows and Thomas Snee, Photo by Jim Chu; Sundridge, Ernie Abugov and Dance About team Barb de Kat, Jessica Burrows, Thomas Snee, Principal Character Artists Tomas Schramek and Victoria Bertram, Mark Harjes and Sharon Vanderlinde, Photos by Barb de Kat.]